Valentine Texas Bar in Valentine

In the tiny railroad town of Valentine, the Valentine Bar is the kind of place that feels almost too strange to be real. Just down the road from Prada Marfa, the bar proudly advertises itself as “Not an Art Installation,” which surprises plenty of visitors who assume it must be one.

The building is an old adobe structure dating back to the 1890s, later turned into a bar in the 1940s along with a resturant known as the ‘Highway Cafe’ where a pool table and stage now stands. Inside, the walls and ceilings are layered with dollar bills, alongside a poorly taxidermied bobcat, an old cigarette machine, and a vintage barber’s chair.

At night, the scene becomes even more surreal: a glowing tower of nearby water tanks rises in the distance while the bar’s red and pink lights glow against the dark West Texas sky. The place acts like a magnet for artists, families, drifters, and curious travelers wandering off Highway 90 in search of a cold drink, or at least a good photo and a bit of local lore. During Valentine’s Day weekend, the population of Valentine suddenly swells for a couple of days as visitors arrive to celebrate in the most appropriately named town imaginable.

The bar isn’t always open, when it is you’ll see a car door saying ‘Bar Open’ sitting out, but the building itself has become such a roadside curiosity that stopping by for a look (and a few photos) has become part of the Valentine experience.